Chancellor George Osborne says the future is looking brighter, but cautions
that "the battle to turn Britain around is not even close to being over"
in key speech to Conservative Party conference.

Defining himself as an "optimist", the Chancellor told Tory activists that, after a series of positive economic indicators, "the sun has started to rise above the hill and the future looks brighter than it did just a few dark years ago".

However, the Chancellor warned "the battle to turn Britain around is not even close to being over and we are going to finish what we have started."

Even after the deficit is brought under control, which under current plans should happen around 2018, Mr Osborne said that a future Conservative government will continue to bear down on spending in order to run a surplus and bring down the overall size of the state debt.

Meanwhile, a Tory government would commit itself after the 2015 general election to increase spending on infrastructure at least in line with growth in national income.